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Combine your pensions with NatWest Invest
Investment guide

Combine your pensions with NatWest Invest

The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may not get back the full amount you invest. Eligibility criteria, fees and charges apply. 

Make retirement easier by bringing your pensions together

The chances are, you’ve picked up lots of pensions throughout your working life and they now sit all over the place. This can make it more difficult to understand whether they will give you your dream retirement. But you could bring your pensions together pretty easily, making them more straightforward to manage while potentially saving you money.

Now, it’s not black and white. There could be good reasons to stay with one or more of your current providers. But thinking carefully about this now and deciding either way could really help when you retire.

Here are some of the pros and cons…

Three reasons to consider bringing your pensions together

1. It’s easier to keep track of your money

1. It’s easier to keep track of your money

Having all your pensions in one place could make it much easier to keep an eye on how much you have and how it’s growing. 

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2. You could save on fees

2. You could save on fees

The overall costs and charges involved with a pension have been coming down, which is good. But you could still benefit from combining your pensions to one with lower fees than those you’re currently paying overall. This means you wouldn’t be paying as much in fees and get to keep more of your pension to put towards your retirement.  

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3. Your pension could do better

3. Your pension could do better

It’s possible that, over time, some of the underlying funds within a pension will lose their edge. Perhaps the main manager moves on, for example. This can leave a fund untouched and unloved – left to market movements. Making sure all your pension savings are well-managed now and into the future could make a big difference.

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Is it easy to combine pensions?

Is it easy to combine pensions?

Despite these possible benefits, you may be put off by thinking it’s too much hassle. But it doesn’t have to be.

If you’re transferring from one ‘defined contribution’ scheme to another, it’s often quite simple and can be done online, with something like our very own NatWest Invest. 

The potential drawbacks

As we said at the top, there are reasons to stay as you are too. For example, if you have a workplace pension that your employer is also paying into, you might want to stick with it. And you might be paying perfectly reasonable fees where you are.

There also may be times when a pension shouldn’t be transferred as you could lose valuable benefits (if we find any, we will let you know). For example, high exit fees, some pension schemes charge you quite a lot if you transfer out of them. 

What do I need to do?

Understanding your pension pots from previous jobs is crucial for effective retirement planning. Here are some steps to help you get a clear picture:

  1. 1. Get your pension details

    Have to hand the name of your pension providers, policy numbers and the values of each of your pensions. This information can be found in your annual statements or on an online portal.

    If you can’t find this information, you can use the Pension Tracking Service or simply reach out to your previous employers. 

  2. 2. Apply online

    Once you’ve made your decision to transfer, either log into your online banking or go to the app following the links below. Once there, choose “Transfer a pension” under our pension section then follow the steps.

  3. 3. We’ll take care of the rest

    We’ll begin combining your pensions in one place and will let you know once the transfer is completed. 

Planning for retirement? Get started with a NatWest Invest Pension

You’ll need to be a NatWest customer with Online Banking, aged 18 – 75 and be a UK resident for tax purposes. You cannot make contributions if you are a US citizen or US Green Card holder. You cannot access your pension benefits before the age of 55. When transferring any existing pensions, exit fees may apply.

 

Continue to the NatWest mobile app and click on 'Invest' to see our full investment range.

 

Further support and guidance

If you’re unsure about interpreting the information or making decisions, consider seeking advice from an independent financial adviser who specialises in pensions.

Understanding your previous pension pots is an important step in deciding whether to consolidate your pensions or keep them separate. 

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The final value of your pension fund will depend primarily on how much has been paid in and how well the pension fund's investments have performed. You should continue to hold cash for any short-term liquidity needs.